VOL. LXIV.] VHILOSOPMICAL TRANSACTIONS. 553 



7th or 8th turn the balls began to separate, and in 40 turns they were about 

 •f of an inch distant from each other. I then ceased to turn the winch any 

 longer ; but had no sooner stopped, than the balls began to close, and in a very 

 few seconds they were in contact ; whereas, in the former experiment, when the 

 electrifietl drops were in the dish, on my ceasing to turn the globe, they showed 

 no sign at all of converging ; and I imagine would have remained separate a long 

 time, if I had not taken off their electricity with my finger. I apprehend, 

 therefore, from this experiment, that the vapour of hot water is a conductor of 

 electricity. 



Exper. 3. I hung on a string as near to the ceiling of the room as I could, 

 a pair of pith-balls, which, on working the machine a considerable time, diverged 

 ■f of an inch, but no wider. Then sticking into the conductor a smoking deal 

 match, and working the machine again, they presently separated to the distance 

 of 2 inches. The match, when placed in the same situation, and not smoking, 

 had no such effect. 



Exper. A. Having placed an earthen half-pint mug on a stand, properly in- 

 sulated ; I fixed to a large ball of brass, placed in the bottom of it, the end of 

 a wire, 6 or 8 feet in length. The other end of the wire connected with the 

 prime conductor of a small electrical machine, fig. 3. Over this mug, and as 

 near to the ceiling of the room as might be, I suspended a pair of light cork 

 balls. Then filling up the vessel with boiling water, I began to work the ma- 

 chine ; and in 50 or 6o turns of the winch, observed the balls to separate f, or 

 half an inch, from each other. I then took off the electricity of the bodies, 

 emptied the vessel, and cleared it of the vapour ; and having placed the apparatus 

 in the same manner, I again worked the machine, for a longer time, but without 

 effect. On replacing the boiling water, I succeeded as at first. At other 

 times, when I have been able to separate the balls by the air alone, to a small 

 distance, yet by pouring in the hot water, the vapour has presently increased 

 their divergence from \ or -^, to half an inch distance, or in that proportion, 

 according to the state of the atmosphere with respect to dryness or moisture. 

 In short I have repeated these kinds of experiments so often, and many times 

 with so much success, that there can be no doubt of vapour being a conductor 

 of electricity. 



Exper. 5. I insulated the rubber of the machine, and hung a pair of Mr. 

 Canton's balls on the prime-conductor. On working the machine, and taking 

 off a spark, or two, to draw off the electricity naturally inherent in the 

 rubber, &c. I observed the divergence of the balls, which was very great, inso- 

 much that the strings were bent : and on approaching the back of the rubber 

 with a smoking green wax taper, just blown out, (the smoke of which was in- 

 ^, stantly attracted to it,) they diverged no wider. I then took off the balls, and 

 - VOL. xiir. ,... , ,-4,6., ,,. ,, ., ,. .. .-,, , . 



